It's estimated that 85 percent of injuries to our armed forces in the
field cause damage to the extremities or the face. Innovations in
regenerative medicine are moving along at an amazing pace, but the
common current facial burns treatment typically involves removing
damaged areas, followed by skin grafting, which usually leads to
disfigurement and the possibility of speech impediments and scarring.

A new project called Biomask, a collaboration between engineers at
the University of Texas, Arlington; Northwestern University regenerative
medicine specialists; leaders in burn treatment at Brooke Army Medical
Center; and consultants Army Institute of Surgical Research seeks to
improve burn treatment outcomes with the latest in medical electronics
and regenerative medicine.

The Biomask consists of two layers: The top layer is a hard shell
that protects the wearer's face and stores the electronic components.
The second layer is a polymer mask that will fit around the contours of
the face. The polymer also acts as a seal around the wounds which
compresses them to prevent lumpy scar formation. The polymer shell is
also embedded with a number of sensors and actuators to monitor the
healing process and send data to physicians.

While the mask itself will already improve treatment outcomes,
Biomask takes it a step further by featuring a network of microtubes and
valves in the polymer layer that will constantly deliver therapeutics,
such as painkillers, antibiotics, and stem cells to the parts of the
face that the onboard sensors determine.

Altogether, this makes Biomask a highly customized and automated 24/7
treatment system that researchers hope will make healing faster and
better.